East Longmeadow golf opens title defense in wide open season

East Longmeadow High School golf coach John Courtney wants to sneak up on people this fall.

But if the Spartans are to lurk in the shadows, who will they hide behind?

“Teams like Minnechaug look good, they should be the class of the bunch,” Courtney said. “They have a lot of guys who can shoot 38s and (Steve) Hunt is a very good player”.

Minnechaug was a close third to East Longmeadow last fall, at the Western Mass. Division I championships. The Spartans edged out defending champion Longmeadow is a tiebreaker (fifth low score) on home course Elmcrest Country Club.

The reigning Western Mass. Division III individual champion has worked hard to improve his short game and putting, after playing a series of summer tournaments.

“It feels different this year,” the 2.7 handicapper at CC of Greenfield and Crumpin-Fox Club said. “Last year, I’d struggle with my putting . . . but I have been working on my short game.”

Booska qualified for the Massachusetts Amateur, missing match play by three strokes, and finished 12th at the Massachusetts Junior.

“I feel confident (entering the season), and I am shooting to do everything one better this year,” Booska said. “Last year, I had (current AIC freshman) Troy Miller and he was very good competition, so that’s a tough loss for the team.”

Last year, Booska also finished third at the state vocational championships, seventh at the all-divisional PVIAC Championships and was 10th at the Division III state tournament.

Booska, a sixth-year varsity veteran, is looking to play at the collegiate level. To date, he has expressed interest in Coastal Carolina and is hopeful of visiting Methodist College.

BIG DATES: Four of the region’s biggest tournaments will take place during a three-day span in October.

The Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference individual championships will take place Oct. 19 at Veterans GC in Springfield.

Two days later, Western Mass. championships will be contested in Division I (Crestview CC), Division II (CC of Wilbraham) and Division III (Hickory Ridge GC).

State tournaments are scheduled on Oct 28 for: Division I, Black Swam CC in Georgetown; Division II, Blackstone National GC in Sutton; and Wyantenuck CC in Great Barrington.

The Western Mass. Girls Individual tournament is set for Worthingon GC on Oct. 4.